hi all new to the forums which i came across doin some research on possible vehicles to use. and hope i can get some info and maybe some questions answered.

so the gist of itlooking for a vehicle for off grid(solar, large water res., 3-4wks at a time) livin and pullin. I would be pullin a utility/toy hauler(6x10, dual axel, high enough to walk upright) hauling a full dress hd and tools= 500 lbs. I am not great mechanically but i can do basic maintenance, brakes and such

what ive found sofar:-7.3L powerstroke turbo diesel are solid motors with long life spans and dependable

-Avoid the 6L

-Being diesel you wont take as bad a hit to mpg when towing. What is the ave mpg for an ambulance?

-Ambulances are made solid to gov regulations, usually insulated and extensive electrical system,

-Idle time means more than miles. Ive seen stated that there should be a counter for hrs idle. does anyone know a range i should be looking for? whats to high? and should all ambulances have this?

-Insurance issues? ive seen some say it is a problem and others that say as long as you leave the word ambulance out of the equation(call it a box truck) and go by the vin things go ok. Anyone have any experience with this?

-Plating it, because of the weight it is classified as a commercial vehicle which affects, well not sure what it affects. Is it just price of yearly registration? are there other things affected by this?Ive also seen posts about how people strip down the vehicle and get it re certified as a rv or something like that. Striped down to what extent? Just removing all equipment or more in depth like gutting it completely? Again anyone with experience with this?

-With diesel its not easy to find qualified mechanics in general so repairs tend to cost more

-type 1 & 3 only difference is 1 is on a pickup truck chassis and 3 is on a van chassis. ive seen some say type 1 is easier to work on and do basic maintenance just because of room and positioning in engine compartment

plating and insurance seem to be the biggest concern so far. Tryin to figure out what the comercial status really means. do i need to get inspections along with increased annual registrtion fees?

MEDIUM DUTY AMBULANCEIve recently started looking into this. Anyone that has had one, your thoughts and opinions would be appreciated. ive seen baloos thread and did some basic looking into-everything is bigger, from amount of fluids to the tools needed

-engines dont know much about them. Cummins and fl's i often see anything to avoid or look for? like the 6L powerstroke?

I really like my Ambulance. It is my Toy Hauler and Camper. I put one buggy in the Ambulance and tow another one. I get about 14 MPG with my 7.3 towing about 5000 lbs.

I have not built out the inside yet. I just hand hammocks for the kids and I use a cot while camping. The box is insulated but the AC/Heat only works if the engine is running. The shore power is great. I use my generator to plug into the shore power and all the interior and exterior lights work great.